Kirill Vyshinsky
Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots of Canada (CCRC) made a public statement to defend the Editor-in-Chief of RIA Novosti - Ukraine, journalist and Russian citizen Kirill Vyshinsky, who was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine. The text of letter is reproduced below:
Declaration of Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots of Canada to defend Kirill Vyshinsky
Ukrainian and Russian journalist, Editor-in-Chief of RIA Novosti - Ukraine Kirill Vyshinsky have been arrested illegally and remains being detained since May 15, 2018.
Charging Kirill Vyshinsky with treason is an inequitable political persecution and a legislative arbitrariness. Detaining the journalist for his professional activity reveals a systematic violation of citizens' rights and liberties in Ukraine such as freedom of opinion, freedom of mass media and a right for professional activity.
This case is a blatant violation of Ukraine’s international obligations in the field of media freedom, and it is condemned by many international organisations. European Federation of Journalists, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatoviс expressed their deep concern about the violation of mass media freedom.
The arrest of Kirill Vyshinsky was condemned by the journalists of Serbia, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Iran, Brazilia, Uruguay and China.
Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots of Canada appeals for the immediate release of Kirill Vyshinsky and the closure of his criminal prosecution under the false pretext.
Elena Klinaeva,
Chairman of Board of Directors of CCRC of Canada
Boris Perchenko,
Deputy Chairman of CCRC of Canada
Dmitriy Shishkin,
Executive Secretary of CCRC of Canada
Russkiy Mir
